Zheng narrowed his eyes. “Do you see them yet?”
“No, not yet.”
“What do you think is blocking the view?”
Shi shrugged. “Buildings, rocks, another ridge perhaps.”
Zheng wondered what was so special about this mountaintop. The last transmission from the mole had been brief and hadn’t contained much information. Only that they had exited the tunnel and were going to check the summit.
Shi made a little noise. Zheng looked down at him. “What is it?”
“I’m getting a few flashes of heat again.” He continued to turn the focus wheel. “It’s hard to say what’s going on. I see walls… it looks like they’re walking through some sort of village.”
Zheng’s pulse quickened. “Get up.” He kicked Shi a third time for good measure then turned toward the others spread along the ridge. “Get ready to depart.”
Ho stood, his massive frame momentarily blotting out the moon. He looked at Zheng, his face showing the hint of a smile. “We kill them now?”
Zheng nodded. “Yes, we’re going to kill them now.”
As Zheng turned to walk away, Ho grabbed his shoulder roughly. The colonel cringed. If any other soldier had done that, he would have killed them on the spot. But this was Ho, so he bit his tongue.
“Let me have the long-haired one, the leader,” Ho said.
Zheng hesitated. He had wanted to fire that shot himself, but how could he deny Ho the pleasure? It’s what the brute had been trained for. “You must promise me one thing.”
“Promise you what?” Ho asked.
“If you get the opportunity, make him suffer first.”
Ho smiled.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
By the time the group reached the clearing where Rebecca had been found, a thick fog had settled over the jungle. It seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, billowing through the trees like some vaporized serpent intent on slowing their progress.
As they reentered the forest, Katiya used her binoculars to scan the canopy above. She was startled at the sight that met her eyes. Not only were the orbs more numerous than before, but most seemed to have gathered over the group. Was that a coincidence or was there some dark purpose? Thus far they seemed benevolent, so she decided not to raise the alarm.
About twenty minutes later, Zane slowed at a fork in the path. The primary trail continued down the slope, while a narrower branch led off to the left.
As had already been planned, the group divided into two teams. Zane, Bennett, Brett, and Jorge would take the pathway to the left. Rebecca said the alien craft was situated at the north end of the clearing, so they would travel in that direction and approach from above. Tocchet would then lead the others in search of the temple where Rebecca had hidden earlier that evening. For her part, Katiya was happy she was going to be a part of the group examining the building, as she had a feeling it had great significance.
After giving a few final instructions, Zane led his team off into the fog. Once they were out of sight, Tocchet reminded everyone to avoid using their lights then led them straight down the slope.
A few minutes later, the slope leveled off, and they found themselves standing in the large clearing Rebecca had described. But instead of walking on a path of clay and rocks, their feet now rested on short grass. As everyone spilled out, Katiya tried to take in her surroundings. The fog was thicker than ever, but she still sensed that the area they were standing in was quite large, perhaps the size of several football fields.
Tocchet looked at Rebecca. “Can you get us there from here?”
“I believe so.”
With a surprising boldness, she led them south along the right side of the clearing. When they arrived at the end, she turned to the left along the southern edge. “The trail should be somewhere along in here,” Rebecca whispered as they crept through the fog.
Katiya thought it odd that the clearing had such a distinct shape. It seemed like a perfect rectangle, at least the portion she’d seen so far. Perhaps the girl had been right about it being some sort of airstrip.
“Look,” Artur said, pointing to a gap between two trees.
Tocchet turned on his light briefly, illuminating a trail that disappeared into the jungle.
“That’s it,” Rebecca exclaimed.
As they entered, a knot developed in Katiya’s stomach. Was it just a case of nerves? Or was her body trying to warn her that all was not well? She tried to brush it off. They were here, and they certainly weren’t going to turn back now. The strange feeling was likely just the jitters that came with being on the verge of something so big, and nothing else.
A few minutes later, Rebecca stopped and pointed. “I recognize that line of trees. The building should be just ahead.”
“Remember, no lights just yet,” Tocchet whispered.
As they passed underneath the trees, the silhouette of a large building appeared, an eerie sentinel rising out of the fog. Katiya stared in awe. It was much larger than she’d imagined.
“Good grief,” Amanda said in a low voice.
A large stone staircase ran up the front. It reminded Katiya of the stairs at the front of a museum. At the top, she could see a line of pillars encircling the structure. Although hard to see, the roof appeared to be a dome.
“Definitely not Mayan or Incan,” Amanda whispered.
Tocchet took the steps, and the others followed.
Katiya turned to Max, who was on her right. “What do you think?”
He shook his head in disbelief. “Totally out of place.”
“I was just thinking the same thing. I’ve never seen anything quite like this in Brazil, Peru… anywhere.”
Amanda fell in next to them. “You’re right. Look at the dome. It shouldn’t be here. Even the columns seem out of place.”
When the team arrived at the top, Katiya noticed that the fog was a bit thinner, allowing her to take in more detail. They were standing on a walkway that wrapped around the building.
After making sure the area was clear, Tocchet motioned for them to follow him inside.
Before joining the others, Katiya stole a quick glance back toward the trees. The fog was so thick along the ground that she couldn’t see the trail anymore. The knot in her stomach grew tighter.
The building’s interior was massive, even larger than it looked from the outside. Several structures lay directly ahead, although Katiya couldn’t yet tell what they were.
As the group moved forward into the space, Amanda tilted her head back. Katiya followed her gaze and noted the domed ceiling rising high above them. Something appeared to be painted on its surface.
Tocchet turned on his light, so the others followed suit. Someone let out a little gasp.
As Katiya turned, chill bumps spread across both of her arms. Rows of statues rose up in front of them. As best she could tell, they extended all the way to the back of the room.
“Good heavens,” Max said.
Katiya clicked on her flashlight and approached the closest one. The nude figure of a man stood on a square stone base. He was handsome and muscular, and yet something about his face gave her the chills.
Max came and stood at her side. “Go down lower again. I thought I saw something on the base.”
Katiya moved the beam back down until she saw what he was referring to. There, in the center of the base, was a plate set into one of the stones.
Max stepped closer, a frown spreading over his face. “It looks like bronze,” he said. “No ancient South American culture used anything like this.”
“It looks like there’s something written on it,” Katiya said. “Can you read it?”
“No, most of it’s too worn.”